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Getting Started

EndNote is powerful software, but you'll want to make a few minor adjustments before you're ready to start building a library. Making these changes will ensure that your version of EndNote will work properly with our library system, the databases you want to search, and the citation styles you need.

First, open EndNote, and choose "Create a New Library." Or click on the "File" tab in the top left hand corner, select "New...", and name your new library. By default, the library is saved in My Documents/EndNote. You can name the file what you want, though the default is My EndNote Library.enl

Set up proper links to the library's proxy servers

If you're running Windows, click on the "Edit" tab and Select "Preferences..." from the dropdown menu. If you're running Mac OS, select Preferences from the EndNote X9 menu.

The location of your Connection Log is particular to each computer, so your information will look different from this illustration.

Set up access to full text

Select "Find Full Text" from the list of preferences

Make sure all boxes are checked

OpenURL path should say: openurl.library.illinois.edu/sfxlcl3/

Authenticate with URL should say: http://www.library.illinois.edu/proxy/go.php?url=

When you're finished, click OK

Edit Import Filters

Click on the Edit tab, hover over Import Filters, and click on Open Filter Manager..."

Select the article databases (such as PsycInfo, PubMed, or JSTOR) from which you know you will want to be able to import citations.

In some cases, such as with ERIC, you will need to know the name of the vendor/interace that you'll be searching as well. If you don't, find the database through the library website and check to see whether it is EBSCO, Proquest, etc.

If you don't see the databases you need, click on "Get More on the Web." You may have to do this for even commonly used databases such as Academic Search Complete by EBSCOHost.

Customizations

Edit Options for Duplicate Records

Select "Duplicates" from the list of preferences

Make sure the boxes for author, year, and title are checked (this is the default)

This dictates the fields that EndNote compares when searching for duplicates

If you don't see a style or journal name that you want, click on "Get More on the Web" for a more extensive list of styles available for download. When you find a style you would like, follow the directions on the download page to install it.

You can also download all output styles. For more information, see the link "Get More on the Web".

Connection Files

In order to search a database from within EndNote, you will have to set up connection files for each database that you plan to search. Your version of EndNote may have come with Connection Files, but unless you have specifically adapted them to the library servers, they won't work.

The library has adapted some connection files for use with specific databases and vendors. You can browse a list of University of Illinois adapted connection files in the box below.

Please note: The library no longer provides support for connection files, so if a connection file does not exist for the database you want, or if you successfully added the connection file but it doesn't work, then you must search from within a database and export the records to EndNote. For information on how to do this, see the next tab, Building a Citation Library.

If you find a database connection file that you'd like to add to EndNote, right click on the connection file, select Save as..., and save it to the Connections folder associated with EndNote, or you can save it to the desktop and then move it. Once you've saved it, you will need to open it with EndNote if this doesn't happen automatically. This will then add the connection file to your Connection Manager.

You can check which connection files you have by going to the Connections Manager: click on the Edit tab, select Connection Files, then click on Open Connection Manager. Then scroll down to see which connection files are selected. You can select additional files, and you need to select the files you just added to your Connections folder. Files that are selected will appear in the left column of the main EndNote screen, under online search.

University of Illinois Connection Files

Following the directions above, download these University of Illinois specific connection files (where available) in order to search databases and catalogs that U of I subscribes to from within the EndNote program.

While these connection files can be useful, they come with a couple of caveats.

The library no long provides support for these connection files, so if any of them stop working, we won't be able to replace them.